Air fryer panko chicken breasts are so easy to make! These crispy breaded chicken cutlets get perfectly cooked in the air fryer. They are quick enough to make for an easy weeknight dinner.
I love crispy air fried chicken breasts. They are just so crispy and crunchy, but the inside stays juicy. The chicken breasts gets breaded in panko bread crumbs for a tasty and easy dish that can be used in so many ways.
This panko chicken is an easy way to use boneless skinless chicken breasts to make a dish the whole family will love. It uses less oil than pan-frying, but still gets so crispy when cooked in the air fryer.
You can keep these simple and just enjoy the chicken without sauce, or you can brush a sauce on the last few minutes of cooking to give a boost of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (you'll slice this in half to create 2 thin cutlets)
- Garlic powder
- Egg
- Dijon mustard
- Water
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Cooking spray
- Salt and pepper
How to make air fryer crispy chicken
First, prepare your chicken cutlets. Slice each chicken breast in half so that you have two thin halves. Careful while doing this, and try to keep the chicken as even as possible so that it's the same thickness. If chicken is still on the thick side, pound with a meat mallet until about ¼ inch thick.
Season both sides of the chicken with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Add your egg, water, and dijon mustard to a shallow bowl and whisk together. Add panko to a separate shallow bowl.
Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then flip to make sure that both halves get covered in the egg mixture.
Let any extra mixture drip off, then coat both sides of the chicken breast with the panko.
Repeat with the other chicken breast, then add to a plate or cutting board. Spray both sides of the chicken breast lightly with cooking spray.
Place in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Air fry for 7-9 minutes at 400 degrees F, carefully flipping halfway through cooking.
Once the chicken is golden brown on the outside and cooked to an internal temperature of 165, remove the chicken from the air fryer.
If you have leftovers, let cool, then store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Customization ideas
- Season the chicken with some some cayenne pepper for a bit of heat
- Season the chicken with your favorite dried herbs or spices (oregano, thyme, onion powder, etc.)
- Swap out the panko for breadcrumbs (though I prefer panko for the crunch it gets in the air fryer!)
How to serve
What should you serve with air fryer panko chicken? I love simply serving mine with some lemon slices or wedges and an arugula salad, as shown below, but there are so many other options, like this air fryer broccolini or kumquat salad.
Recipe tips
- All air fryers cook differently. A meat thermometer is highly recommended to make sure your chicken is cooked properly. Chicken breast should be cooked to 165 degrees F.
- Depending on how thick your chicken breast is, you may need slightly more or less time in the air fryer.
- You can get thinly sliced chicken breasts. If using chicken breasts that are already around ¼ inch thin, you will need 2 instead of 1 chicken breast.
- You do not need to preheat the air fryer for this recipe, unless your air fryer specifically calls for it.
More air fryer chicken recipes
- Air Fryer Honey Dijon Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Air Fryer Thin Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Chili Lime Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Greek Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Paprika Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Pretzel Chicken
- Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken
Air Fryer Panko Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon water
- ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Take your chicken breast and dry with paper towels. Slice in half horizontally (starting at the thick end) so that you have two thin chicken breasts. If needed, pound with a meat mallet until ¼ inch thick.
- Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts.
- To a shallow bowl, add the egg, mustard, and water and whisk together.
- To a separate shallow bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the egg, coating both sides, then the panko, pressing in the panko as needed.
- Place the coated chicken cutlets on a plate or cutting board and spray all sides lightly with cooking spray.
- Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 7-9 minutes at 400 degrees F, carefully flipping halfway through.
- Remove and serve as desired.
Notes
- All air fryers cook differently. A meat thermometer is highly recommended to make sure your chicken is cooked properly. Chicken breast should be cooked to 165 degrees F.
- Depending on how thick your chicken breast is, you may need slightly more or less time in the air fryer.
- You can get thinly sliced chicken breasts. If using chicken breasts that are already around ¼ inch thin, you will need 2 instead of 1 chicken breast.
- You do not need to preheat the air fryer for this recipe, unless your air fryer specifically calls for it.
Nutrition
If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.
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